Waiting Round the Bend
by Pouncer
Summary: Chess, moonlight, companionship. Radek found himself staring at the bump on the outside of Lorne's wrist, strong and tanned and covered in hair. Pairing: Zelenka and Lorne. General spoilers for early season 3.


Waiting Round the Bend

By Pouncer

It always takes time for Radek's nerves to settle after a crisis. Not that Atlantis is ever _calm_, of course, but there are some days where death is less imminent than others.

Today is one such day.

He needs the rest, he knows. The frantic rush to get the _Orion_ operational bled into the debate over newly-humanized Wraith and then slid into the beginnings of another disaster, narrowly averted.

They hoped.

Radek's cynicism had been honed under communism; his childhood a barrage of stupidity in the name of party loyalty. The saving grace of the present circumstances was his ability to affect change himself.

And the companionship of his colleagues.

"Hey, Doc." Major Lorne nodded to Radek as he walked into the control room. "Anything up?"

"Nothing on long-range scans. All gate teams home safely. You should have a quiet shift."

Lorne smiled, and Radek felt his stomach dip. "Great. We still on for tomorrow night?"

"Barring any emergencies, yes," Radek said, eyebrows darting upward in an attempt at independent communication.

He was looking forward to this far too much.

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Moments ticked off, slower than honey. Radek began to wonder if the Ancients had tinkered with relativity, because the perceived time and actual time just _did not match_. Even Rodney noticed Radek's distraction, causing him to flee the labs at the earliest opportunity.

Dinner alone in his quarters – nothing elaborate, but then food wasn't what he'd been anticipating.

Major Lorne wore casual clothes to the balcony, and Radek blinked at the way denim outlined muscled thighs.

"It's strange that such a large city seems so crowded," Lorne ventured after they'd sat down.

Radek surveyed the chess board and gestured for Lorne to make the first move. "We still have so much of it off-limits. I'm glad not many people know about this place." Radek had found the balcony one evening while wandering the cleared hallways, and liberated table and chairs from a seldom-frequented rec room.

The moon shone on the horizon, and the saline tang that never left Atlantis' air was even stronger here, outside. Lorne reached out and moved a pawn forward. Radek found himself staring at the bump on the outside of Lorne's wrist, strong and tanned and covered in hair. Radek wanted to ruffle it to see if he could make Lorne shiver.

_Slowly,_ Radek reminded himself. _Take things slowly._

"Your move, doc."

Radek's lips twitched slightly upwards as he contemplated the board. Lorne had no idea how true his words were.

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The match was approaching its endgame, and Radek pondering his best option, when Lorne said, "This would make a _great_ painting."

Radek looked up, and saw Lorne gazing out over the edge of the city: the drop to the ocean, the broad spread of water illuminated in a cone of light from the almost-full moon.

There were times when the beauty of Atlantis overcame chaos with awe. Radek's breath caught in his throat as he perceived foreign stars as art instead of emitters of heat and radiation. Patterns glimmered but he couldn't make them resolve into clarity.

He moved his bishop almost without thought, decision made while his mind was occupied with stargazing. Lorne glanced back at the board and tipped Radek's king over.

"Checkmate."

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They stood together at the balcony rail. The moon was higher in the sky now, less bright.

_Too tentative,_ Radek heard his mother's voice scold. But what if he was reading those amorphous signals wrong, those times when it seemed like electrical currents were coursing between Lorne and himself?

Radek didn't want to lose this friendship in pursuit of a mirage.

"When did you start painting?" he asked at last, trying to steer his thoughts into safer lanes.

"I can't remember _not_, until I got too busy with the Air Force," Lorne replied. "And after everything —" he waved a hand around, and Radek knew exactly what the gesture was supposed to convey "—I thought I should try again. When I was little, my mom gave me finger paints."

"I was not very artistic," Radek said.

"That can't be true, Doc. I've seen you come up with stuff that I'd never think of in a million years."

"Radek, please."

Lorne's brows drew together, and Radek felt compelled to explain. "Surely we have known each other long enough to use first names?"

Lorne smiled. "Okay. Radek."

Radek was only a little bit flustered by the tingling in his palms at the sound of Lorne's voice speaking his name.

Then Lorne's hand landed on Radek's shoulder and he froze. "Major?"

"Don't you think you should call me Evan?" Lorne whispered. Radek could see him getting closer and then had to close his eyes to drink in the taste of Lorne – of _Evan's_ – lips on his, soft and seeking and perfect.

Radek didn't know how long the kiss lasted, and really, the Ancients _must_ have tampered with relativity, because time shouldn't just _stop_ like this.

After an eternity where Radek's world narrowed to warm lips gliding against his, agile fingers drawing small circles on his shoulders, the sound of the ocean slapping against the city's pilings merging into the ever-faster beating of his heart, Evan drew back.

"Tell me I'm not wrong about this," he said, uncertainty in every syllable.

Radek opened his eyes and nearly gasped at the vulnerability on Evan's face. "You're not wrong," Radek said, and reached out to pull Evan closer.

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"I was telling myself to go slowly," Radek said later, pressed against Evan's side to fight the night's chill. The moon had disappeared behind one of Atlantis' towers, and the stars were brilliant against the vastness of space.

"We don't have time to waste around here," Evan said. "At least, that's what I was thinking."

Radek rubbed his cheek against Evan's shoulder. "No, this is true. I'm glad you acted."

Evan's finger traced the line of Radek's jaw. "Would you let me paint you?"

Radek looked up into Evan's eyes and smiled acceptance.


End file.
